Stay connected

L'Hermine

A vinegary, recently divorced French criminal court judge feared by everyone turns into a middle-aged softie when confronted with a juror he once loved.

“Love in the most unromantic of circumstances, that’s what Christian Vincent serves up in Courted. Set in and around a French criminal court, he takes great pains to show us the roundabout machinations of this venerable institution of justice, while also introducing light into the world of its misanthropic king.

“Fabrice Luchini ('Gemma Bovary') is Court President Racine, the overlord of a small empire. He’s not much liked by colleagues who warn others of his mean-streak. The case before him this time is a hard one. A young man stands accused of kicking his seven-month old baby to death. He confessed in the Police Station but now recants. The first half of Vincent’s film is entirely concerned with proceedings. The court case recedes from view in the second half as Sidse Babett Knudsen’s ('The Duke of Burgundy'; tv's 'Borgen') juror comes to the fore. The moment she first appears, Racine can’t take his eyes off her. Infectiously confident and elegantly dressed, Knudsen is the star attraction. As he courts her, the focus switches to their clandestine meet-ups after work. It’s not against the rules, nor is it advisable.

“Romance removes the trial from view, but as for the final verdict, getting lost with Knudsen and Luchini is ultimately no bad thing.” - Flickfeast